Combustion engine



Feb. 24, 1931. R. SCHILLING COMBIJSTION ENGINE Filed April 6, I926 mu MM A T TUBA/E KS Patented Feb. 24, 1931 UNITE STAT RUDOLPH SCHITJLING, OF WOODSIDE, 'QBLITORNIA, ASSIGNOBIQ HOLZWABTE G48 TURBINE. OF- SAN WCISCQ' OALIIOBNIA, A..OOBPORATION OF DELAWARE COMBUSTION ENGINE Application filed April 26,

My invention relates to combustion engines and more articularly to combustion or explosion tur ines. In en ms of this class the proper distribution of t e explosive mixture '5 and the. scavenging of the combustion chambar has presented a problem the solution of which, up to the present time, has been attempted in various ways. It is desirable, in order to secure a maximum of efiiciency in the operation of such engines, to insure quick and uniform combustion in the combustion chamber or chambers which form part-of the engine. Heretofore attempts have been made to secure this result by constructing the combustion chambers of spherical form, the-latter, later on, being 'chan ed to a pear-shape with the small end of the chamber directed toward the nozzle valve of the en 'ne; still later on it was found that combustion chain-'- 2 0 bers of cylindrical form and considerable axial length produced the best results 'but presented difliculties in the proper ignition of .the explosive'mixture, which difliculties exist to a greater or lesser degree at the present 2 time. .The object of the present invention ,is to provide a novel arrangement whereby these difiiculties and other existing disadvantages'may be overcome and whereby component parts of the explosive charge ma be 80 coincidentally introduced into the comhu'stion chamber at different pointstherein, the same being true with respect to the introduction of scavengingair and combustion. air. Other more specific objects will a pear from the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing. which shows an example of theinvention without defining its limits, Fig.1isa diagrammatic sectional view illustrating the improvement embodied in a combustion or explosion turbine of the Holzwarth type; and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary similar view illustrating another arrangement .of the inventlonr'i 'In the' drawing, 5 represents a conventional combustion chamber cylindrical in formand 'of considerable axial length and of the type enerally found'in combustion turbines of t e olzwarth t e. The combustion chamber 5 is connecte with a valve chamber 6 in 1926. Serial No. 104,553.

which a valve 7 is located, said valve cooperating'with a valve seat 8 to control the comas PATENT" err-1c]: f

munlcation between the combustion chamber 5 and the valve chamber 6. A nozzle 9 leads from the valve-chamber and is located in operative relation to the blades of the rotor 10' which is carried by a shaft 11 and rotates in operative relation to the blades of the stator 12. The combustion chamberbis provided with a splark plu 13 ,or equivalent ignition means w ereby t e exploslve charge in the pombustion chamber is exploded at the proper In the exemplification of the invention shown in Fig. 1, a plurality of conduits 14 lead from a distributing chamber 15 to the combustion chamber 5 and communicate with the interior thereof at different points spaced apart in the direction v of the axis of said chamber 5. In the form shown in Fig. 1, the distributing chamber is located at one end of the combustion chamber 5 and communicates with a valve chamber 16 which, in turn, is

the flow of the fuel, or in other-words the combustion elements, through theconduits 14. In the form shown in Fig. 2, the distributing chamber '15! is connected by means of a pipe 17 (1 directly with the source of combustionelements and a controlling valve 18a is located in each one of the conduitsla which correspond to the conduits 14 of Fig. 1. With the arrangement of Fig. 2, the valves 1 8a each serve to control the flow of the explgsive mixture through the conduits in which the particular valve is located.

It will be understood that the various conduits 14 and 14a may be individually con: nected with independent sources of fluids if this should be desired. This isillustrated in Fig. 2 wherein a separate chamber 15b, fed by a conduit 17b, is provided. This chamber is connected by a conduit 14?) with the combustion chamber, a suitable valve 18b being located in said conduit. With such an arrangement, it is possible to feed mixtures of different degrees of richness at different portions of the combustion chamber.

In all of the forms of theinvention, the conduits 14, 14a, or their equivalent, are" arranged in fluid conducting relation to the combustion chamber 5 at different points thereof, and serve to coincidentally conduct component parts of the explosive charge to different points within the'combustion chamber 5. In other words, the conduits charge simultaneously similar component parts of the explosive charge; that is, they all charge at the same time either combustion air, or fuel; or a mixture of fuel and air (though the ratios of fuel to air may be different in the mixtures charged by the different conduits),

' or other operating media such as cooling air 'coincidentall thereby quic ly and extensively build up a' or scavenging air. Obviously, the quantity of fluid charged by the different conduits may be different. The conduits or their equivalent likewise are arranged to serve for simultaneously conducting scavenging air or combustion air to different points in said combustion chamber. With the arrangement set forth, the combustion chamber is virtually divided into a plurality of adjacent zones each of which is directly connected with and served by a conduit of its own; as the zones into which the combustion chamber is thus divided represent relatively small parts of the entire volume of said combustion chamher, it is possible to introduce a maximum component part of a complete given charge into each of said zones and to complete charge of maximum explosive and operatlve efficiency. The same is true if the conduits serve to introduce scavenging alr into the combustion chamber from which it ciency of the engine is thereby increased materially, and at the same time, the fuel mixture is utilized for its intended purposesto a maximum degree so that the amount of unburned or unused fuel in each combustion chamber is reduced to a minimum if not entirely obviated. With the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 it is possible also to introduce different kinds of fluids, eitheii fuel or air, or various mixtures thereof, into different parts of the combustion chamber. The improvement does not complicate the construction of the engine or materially increase its cost of production; if desired, the novel features recited herein may. be incorporated in existing combustion turbines without any very great It is desirable in turbines of the indicated class to maintain the speed of the jet in the high pressure rotor as well as the exhaust temperature of the combustion gas jet'from the nozzle within certain recognizedpredetermined limits. One method of accomplishing this is to utilize mixtures of low thermal value in the operation of the turbine; such mixtures are however diflicult to ignite with spark plugs alone; For this reason it has been the practice to first ignite that portion of the mixture which is located near the customary nozzle valve to thereby create a flame wave which passes backward through the mixture to the usual inlet valve. The present arrangement permits this method to bemore eificiently carried out and makes it possible a to utilize a mixture of minimum thermal content. This is accomplishedby enriching that portion of the mixture in the combustion chamber which is located near the nozzle valve with fuel at the proper moment; such enriching fuel may be readily introduced through the proper conduit 14 or 14a. As a result of such fuel enrichment a ball of fire of great intensity iscreatcd which ignites the mixture much more easily than a mere spark, first because the resulting flame spreads over a'much greater surface and is much hotter and second, because the major portion of the mixture is compressed by the ball of fire and thereby preheated and made easier to ignite. This is an additional advantage of the improved construction.

The valves may be timed by means of any suitable timing mechanism. Fig. 2 illustrates a satisfactory form of such mechanism, as indicated at 19, the latter being of the pressure-fluid distributor type and adapted to charge periodically a high pressure fluid, such as oil, againstthe underside of a piston mounted on each valve stem to open the valve, and to cause discharge of such fluid at'predetermin'ed instants to permit the valves to close under the action of springs (not shown) or of other pressure means. The distributor may comprise a casing having a. hollow revolving member therein rotated by means of a motor 20, said member being adapted to connect periodically, through its interior, the several conduits 21 leading to cylinders in which slidethe pistons connected with the valves, with a source of oil under pressure to actuate the pistons to open the valves in timed relation. After the valves have remained-open for a predetermined length of time, the communication between the interior j fore ignition promoted, and means for oper and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

7 1. In a combustion chamber of the intermittent explosion type, an intermittently operated nozzle valve, ignition mechanism for igniting an explosive charge in said chamber, a distributing chamber, a conduit for charging the latter with an operating medium, a plurality of conduits leading from said distributing to said combustion chamber and opemng into the latter at a plurality of points, certain of which are spaced in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the chamber, intermittently operated valve mechanism controlling the communication between said charging conduit and said combustion chamber, whereby the same operating medium may be charged intermittently into said chamber at difi'erent points therein simultaneously and intimate mixture of the explosion media beating said valve and valve mechanism.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said distributing chamber is directly annexed to said combustion chamber.

3. The combination set forth in 'claim 1 wherein said distributing chamber is direct-' 1y annexed to said combustion chamber, and

wherein said valve mechanism comprises valves located in said plurality of conduits for regulating the flow of operating medium through said conduits;

4. The combination set forth in claim 1- wherein said plurality-of conduits open into said combustion chamber at a plurality of 1 points all spaced in the direction of thelongitudinal axis of the chamber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. o

' RUDOLPH SCHILLING. 

